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Jill Atwood reportingThis time around detectives are going for federal charges, because you have a convicted felon weilding a gun. They say the state prison system is too lenient, and he'll get out too quickly. Detectives want this guy to do long, hard time in federal prison.
Mario Sotelo has a reputation with Ogden police. You might say he's like a bad penny--he keeps turning up. Police say last night's stand-off was not the first showdown with the convicted felon.
"THERE WAS A SWAT CALL OUT, THE SAME SITUATION WE HAD YESTERDAY HAPPENED ABOUT A YEAR AGO WHERE HE SUPPOSEDLY HELD HIS GIRLFRIEND HOSTAGE."
Sotello has violated the conditions of his parole a half dozen times since 1993.
June 18, 1993, Sotelo goes to prison for possession and distribution of a controlled substance. He's parolled in Januray of 1994 to a halfway house, but goes fugitive less than a month later on February 6th.
He's caught 11 days later and sent back to prison. July 26, 1994, he is parolled again to another halfway house. Once again, less than a month later he is on the run, but is caught two months later and goes back to prison.
This scenario would play out two more times exactly the same way. Last night was the fourth time Sotello had obtained fugitive status.
His other convictions include theft in 1997, and forgery in 2001.
Detectives say Sotello has once again kept very busy since his most recent run from the halfway house. He's a known gang member and drug addict, and his crimes seem to be becoming more violent.
Det. Stephen Zaccardi/Ogden Police Dept.: "I HAVE HIM AS A SUSPECT IN A DRIVEBY SHOOTING WHERE A 16 YEAR OLD KID WAS SHOT IN THE ABDOMEN. I HAVE HIM AS A SUSPECT IN A CARJACKING."
"I'M GOING TO SCREEN THIS CASE WITH THE U.S. ATTORNEY, AND SEE IF WE CAN GET HIM PUT IN THE FEDERAL PRISON BECAUSE HE NEEDS TO DO SOME HARD TIME. AND I WANT TO RETIRE BY THE TIME HE GETS OUT."
Police are obviously frustrated by how a crimimal with this kind of record can continue to be let out on the streets. It's a lot of wasted time and energy, but prison officials says it's another by-product of an overcrowded system.
Even though police consider him dangerous, the crimes that he's been convicted of are considered non-violent, so he has been eligible for parole.
